]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/live-follow-the-owls-vs-alcorn-state/feed/1Video: Alcorn State is all businesshttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/video-alcorn-state-is-all-business/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/video-alcorn-state-is-all-business/#commentsFri, 03 Jun 2011 20:57:49 +0000http://blog.chron.com/owls/?p=2577Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State is playing in the NCAA baseball tournament for the first time. The Braves open against Rice and coach Barrett Rey says it’s exciting but that they are here on a “business trip.”
]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/video-alcorn-state-is-all-business/feed/1Photos: Teams prepare for Houston Regionalhttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/photos-teams-prepare-for-houston-regional/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/photos-teams-prepare-for-houston-regional/#commentsThu, 02 Jun 2011 21:35:15 +0000http://blog.chron.com/owls/?p=2569Here are some photos from Thursday’s practice sessions at Reckling Park:

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/06/fans-guide-to-the-houston-regional/feed/1Houston Regional: Get to know the teamshttp://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/05/houston-regional-get-to-know-the-teams/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/05/houston-regional-get-to-know-the-teams/#commentsTue, 31 May 2011 16:57:36 +0000http://blog.chron.com/owls/?p=2481A look at the four teams participating in the Houston Regional this weekend at Reckling Park:

]]>http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/05/houston-regional-get-to-know-the-teams/feed/0Familiar names heading to Houston Regional (w/video)http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/05/familiar-names-heading-to-houston-regional/
http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2011/05/familiar-names-heading-to-houston-regional/#commentsMon, 30 May 2011 18:06:09 +0000http://blog.chron.com/owls/?p=2457Rice won’t need any introductions with a couple of teams heading to the Houston Regional, which begins Friday at Reckling Park.

The top-seeded Owls open the regional Friday against No. 4 Alcorn State, which received the automatic bid from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Owls are the No. 8 national seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Baylor's Max Muncy, right, is greeted at home by teammates after hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the tenth inning to give Baylor the 12-8 win over Rice in early March. (Photo: Bob Levey/For the Chronicle)

Facing off in the other regional game will be No. 2 Baylor and No. 4 California.

Rice lost to both teams in early March – to Baylor 12-8 on a grand slam in the 10th inning at the Houston Baseball Classic and to California 7-6 in 15 innings at the AT&T Tournament in San Francisco.

“We went 0-2 against Baylor and Cal,” Rice coach Wayne Graham said. “That tells you how good they are. They are both very good.”

Here is Chronicle staff writer Sam Khan Jr.’s account of the Baylor game earlier this season:

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, all Baylor first baseman Max Muncy wanted to do was get the ball into the outfield to give his teammate at third base, Landis Ware, a decent chance to score and win the game.

Muncy did quite a bit more than that.

The sophomore crushed an 0-1 offering from Rice pitcher J.T. Chargois over the right field fence for a walk-off grand slam to lift the No. 16 Bears to a 12-8 win over the No. 21 Owls in the Houston College Classic on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.

“I just tried to find a ball that I could put a good swing on and get the run in, because that’s all I was trying to do,” Muncy said. “I hit it and I saw it go and I said ‘Alright, it’s about time.’”